SF Giants: Gabe Kapler earns his first win with the team as rookie pitchers lead the way

Gabe Kapler and the SF Giants picked up their first win of the 2020 season.

Gabe Kapler wasn’t exactly greater to the warmest reception by SF Giants fans upon his hire last November. But some eight months later, the former MLB outfielder has secured his first win with his new organization.

The Giants improved to 1-2 on the season following their 5-4 win on Saturday over the Los Angeles Dodgers. The victory was a much-needed one after starting the year off with two blowout losses.

The team will now conclude their series against the Dodgers with one final game in Los Angeles on Sunday as they try and climb back to .500. But for now, they’re certainly relishing in this victory.

Young right-hander Logan Webb started for the Giants and went four innings allowing just one run on six hits. Meanwhile, the Giants’ bats stayed hot through the first half of the game scoring at least one run in each of the first four innings as they jumped out to an early 5-1 lead.

Second-baseman Wilmer Flores picked up his first home run with his new team launching a solo shot off Alex Wood in the third inning. Meanwhile, third baseman Donovan Solano added a two-run double in the fourth to add to the team’s four-run cushion.

Webb was relieved in the fifth by rookie Caleb Baragar who was making his MLB debut. The southpaw pitched two clean innings striking out one while mowing down the heart of the Dodgers lineup.

The SF Giants almost blew their lead late, but they managed to hold on.

However, the Giants ran into a little trouble in the eighth as a potential inning-ending groundout slipped through the legs of Solano allowing Corey Seager an opportunity for a two-run single to right field.

Going into the ninth with a two-run lead, the Giants called on right-hander Trevor Gott to shut the door. He surrendered a leadoff homer to catcher Will Smith but retired Max Muncy, Mookie Betts, and Cody Bellinger in order to record his second career save.

For Kapler and the Giants, this victory is a sigh of relief after a disastrous, but not unexpected, start to the season. It was especially encouraging to see the team’s young pitchers pitch so well with Webb and Baragar shining.

Here’s to hoping that Kapler could secure his second victory with the Giants when they finish their series against the Dodgers on Sunday.